When a child steps into a HopSkipDrive car, the first person he or she meets is the CareDriver — an experienced caregiver who has been fingerprinted and gone through a highly selective 15-point certification process. But before the CareDriver and rider even hit the road, an entire team has also “hopped on” that ride, monitoring it virtually from HopSkipDrive headquarters in Los Angeles.

Meet the HopSkipDrive Support team. This unique group of professionals is here to help make sure every kid is transported safely and securely during every ride.

Why have a team monitoring rides? “It’s part of HopSkipDrive’s larger commitment to safety. As moms with kids in these cars, too, we wanted all the safety measures in place to give parents the kind of peace of mind they deserve,” says CEO and Co-founder Joanna McFarland.

This team of experienced customer service professionals can be found on a big pod of computers at HopSkipDrive HQ, huddling in front of screens, monitoring rides and communicating with parents and drivers to make sure riders get where they need to go safely and efficiently. Think of it as kid traffic control.

Using custom technology to track rides and communicate with parents and drivers, the team assists in locating addresses, shares additional instructions about pick-ups and drop-offs, and supports the ride in any way that might be needed. It’s no wonder parents appreciate the personal touch the team provides. One parent told a Support agent he was “worth his weight in gold” for providing additional information to a driver regarding a ride that day. And that’s just a small fraction of the appreciation parents and CareDrivers have for these behind-the-scenes heroes. It’s hard to put a value on having a pro team monitoring every ride from start to finish